The Stranger and the Strange
by Devi77
Summary: As the first story to Eduardo's Tales, everyone's favorite slacker from "Extreme Ghostbusters" finds himself in another place beyond time as he travels on the Roads... and later finds himself solving a mystery as well.


**Eduardo's Tales**

**Story 1: The Stranger and the Strange**

(Rated T for violence and alcohol content.)

(DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Eduardo Rivera from _Extreme Ghostbusters, _nor do I have the right to copy the anime series, _Mushi-Shi, _which is inspired me to bring our favorite slacker into a strange world that exists beyond time. So, please enjoy!)

In another place and another time, nature and superstition had ventured back and forth as elemental forces had dominated the lands. Places and periods have changed from time to time as nature and the supernatural had gone together hand and glove. In time, a wanderer had been reborn as he travelled throughout the lands beyond. Five thousand years had passed since the wanderer had the audacity to call himself a scientist as he was venturing south to see Dr. Naegino. He was currently sleeping in an old shack near the road as he woke up and walked towards the pond to take a bath. The cold water woke him up as he began to scrub himself with a bar of lavender soap in his hand. He continued to clean himself in the pond as he later rinsed himself off and got back towards the old shack.

Dressed in his old Ghostbuster uniform, he gathered his things and stuffed him in a backpack as he even grabbed a gold Buddhist staff and left out of the shack and onto the road to catch a ride down south to meet up with Dr. Naegino. He stood next to a road post as he was waiting for a carriage to ride downward. Towards the western direction, there was a small village that had a medieval feel to it as there was a large castle hovering over it. He watched several townsfolk come and go as he was still waiting for the ride that lead south. He even saw a young girl dressed in medieval clothes on horseback as she was on her way to the castle. It was none of his business to look at the villagers, but he also had a sense of dread when he saw a fat, middle-aged man following the girl from behind.

"It's another vagrant that lives on the road," he said as he looked at Eduardo.

"He's probably one of those people that live out of place," said a tall man with black hair as he followed his master. "These road folk go from place to place, but I doubt that he's waiting for something that could carry him to the South Stride."

"Hold your tongue, Unwin. You're supposed to be guarding me and my future bride, not stare at a scrawny man who does nothing but sit there by the road post."

The fat man, his squire, and his "future bride" had ventured into the village as they paid no heed in talking to Eduardo. The scrawny slacker still waited for the ride down south as the afternoon had settled in. As he continued to wait, he saw a cavalry of men on horses approaching as they were heading towards the village. To his surprise, he saw the cavalry stop in front of him as they were ready to reel him in for breaking afternoon curfew.

"Hey, you," said the leader. "Aren't you supposed to report to the village?"

No answer.

"I'm talking to you, you scrawny little whelp! Aren't you supposed to answer?

Eduardo stood up as he grabbed the staff and his things. The leader drew out his sword as he got off his horse and pointed it at the traveller. Without hesitation, Eduardo managed to use his staff as he whacked the leader and leaped forward to the trees. The cavalry drew out their bows as they readied their arrows at their intended target. Fortunately for Eduardo, he fled into the clearing where the old shack was. He didn't have time to waste when he had to wait for a ride down south to see Dr. Naegino as he crept inside the place he stayed in. He hated the restraint of curfew ever since he loathed it in a past life. Sometimes, he even questioned himself about his purpose in life, especially when he thought about the girl he loved. Whenever he could, he would someday reunite with her, but not yet. When the leader finally caught up to him, he drew out his sword again as he even had the rest of the cavalry pointing their weapons at their target.

"No more playing games! You're coming with us!" yelled the leader as he pointed his sword directly at Eduardo. "All travellers must be registered to a village or else they face imprisonment. Anyway, do you have a name to be registered at the village? You _do _have a name, don't you?"

"My name is Eduardo Rivera," answered the traveller.

"Eduardo, eh? That's a name that hasn't been heard of in many years."

"I can't come with you because I'm waiting for a ride to get to Dr. Naegino"

"Your ride can wait, traveller. Now, let's go!"

###

The cavalry returned to the village with Eduardo in tow as they had entered into an inn that had a medieval feel. With their horses parked at the stables, the cavalry had stopped for a bit of food and drink as they were weary from their travels. Their new arrival had never imagined that he was caught in a group full soldiers as they were waiting for their food and drink. To Eduardo's surprise, he saw a plus-size woman walk towards the table as she brought out a large platter that had a really large beef brisket on it. The smell of food even made Eduardo's stomach growl as he also saw a roasted turkey and vegetables join in with the brisket.

"Hello, Eothain," said the woman as she came back with a pitcher full of mead. "I see that you and your men made it safely after fighting in the East."

"Long time, no see," said the leader. "As soon as we all have a full belly, we can go home, clean ourselves, and bed our women!"

"Hear! Hear!" the rest of the cavalry cheered.

"Who is your new friend?" asked the woman curiously. "I wonder where he came from?"

"His name's Eduardo," said the leader. "We picked him up near the road to this village."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Eduardo."

The sight of the plus-size woman made Eduardo blush as he saw more than just a pretty face. Even his hunger was creeping up on him as he grabbed a plate, and tore one of the turkey legs off and began to eat it. He was low on food since his travels down south as he gobbled up the meat off the turkey leg with such a ravenous appetite. He couldn't help himself as the cavalry watched him finish off his food in such a swift manner. The rest of the men had taken some of the food on the table as they also ate their fill. As for the leader, however, he had a pining for the woman who served the food and drink as he even had to contend with the fat middle-aged man who lived here in this village.

"It seems that Baron Montrechu found a bride so far, but he's got one hell of a list of mistresses under his swollen belt," said the leader.

"I've seen him on the road," answered Eduardo. "He had a young girl with him."

"You mean Lady Aldith of Suleel? She's too young for him _and _she's being married against her will by her guardian, the Duke of Loengard."

"Married against her will? That's messed up."

It wasn't long until the fat middle-aged man appeared with his four squires, including the tall one who followed from behind. The fat man sat down as he saw a serving wench bring out a platter full of slow roasted ducks for dinner. He always loved a feast before the festivities as he was ready to marry his bride and settle down in the court of King Unferth, who ruled this region. Just as he was about to feast on his dinner, he saw an unflattering site in the cavalry's ranks as he was eating a roll and a piece of beef brisket. The fat baron wasn't too happy about Eduardo staying at the inn with the cavalry as he even saw him as infernal road vermin that needed to be ran over by a horse-driven carriage.

"What is with this insolence?!" the Baron roared as he had grease dripping down his chin.

"Mind your attitude, Baron Montrechu!" retorted the leader defensively.

"So, Eothain Tavanel, you think you can bring vermin here in _my _village?! I want that bastard out of here or else!"

"There is a curfew here, my Lord Baron, and I suggest that you respect it or else I'll report you to King Unferth!"

"Roadside vermin and vagrants aren't welcome here in this village and I suggest that after dinner, you throw him out of here!"

"Eduardo has nowhere to go right now!"

"Oh, he has somewhere to go...right in the dungeon and onto the executioner's chopping block!"

With that harrowing insult, Eduardo left the inn with his staff as he even gathered some of the beef brisket to take with him. He couldn't take that fat man's insults any longer as he ran towards the village gate. To his shock, it was closed up as dusk had finally settled in. He didn't have any other choice but to climb over the gate and return to the old shack near the road. Dealing with the Baron was one of the most degrading things that he had ever experienced as he found a ladder near the village wall. Just as he was about to escape, he saw a mysterious person dressed like a serving boy standing by a barrel standing in his way.

"It would be wise if you took the curfew law more seriously," said the serving boy.

"After dealing with that fat freak in the inn, I'd rather return to the road than stay in a place that I don't even know about." answered Eduardo.

"You never change, do you, Eduardo?"

"How do you know my name?"

The sound of a whistle was heard as several watchmen surrounded Eduardo as he was about to make a break for it. He was no match for them as he was barred from leaving the village. Without a struggle, he surrendered as he was taken away towards the detention center. As for the serving boy, however, he watched as he saw Eduardo with his staff and things in his hands. Now, Eduardo was warned about the curfew because he loathed it with a passion. The regulation of hours wasn't his cup of tea, but he was detained by the whim of his own folly.

###

Eduardo was sitting in a dungeon cell with shackles on his wrists as he was caught in the act of leaving the village during curfew. The mere punishing word had burned in his mind as he wasn't too happy with the watchmen who caught him. Something caught his eye as he saw the young girl and the squire look at each other as if they're about to kiss right outside his dungeon cell. What was the girl thinking? She was the bride-to-be of that overweight lout, Baron Montrechu. Why was she with one of his squires all of a sudden?

"You should back out on the marriage to the Baron," said the squire.

"I cannot do that, Unwin," said the girl desperately.

"I won't let you be married off against your will."

"My uncle approved of the marriage, but my father didn't"

Now, something had caught Eduardo's attention as he remembered the cavalry talking about how the girl was being forced to marry the fat and odious Baron against her will. When he saw the girl and the squire leave the dungeon. The leader was right about this ordeal, but can this marriage be averted before the girl becomes very miserable for the rest of her life? To Eduardo's surprise, he saw the leader open up the cell as he had a set of keys in his hand.

"You're free to go," said the leader as he removed the shackles from Eduardo's wrists. "You should at least take curfew very seriously from the bottom up."

"Why is this curfew so important to you?" asked Eduardo.

"The villagers say that there are spirits roaming around all over the roads. They even say that some of us were possessed by them."

"I see... By the way, if I'm going to running around here, I might as well be in the alleyway."

"No need for _that_ because you're going to stay at the castle for the night."

"What?! I'm not royalty, you know!"

"In a few days, the King's loyal friend, Dr. Naegino, is coming over for a visit."

"Wait, did you say Dr. Naegino?!"

"He'll be here to check up on the King and all of his other patients, so I suggest that you come with me for the time being."

Without hesitation, Eduardo followed the leader out of the dungeon as they later entered into the castle courtyard. The place itself was a fancy one as it had a fountain as it even had a garden full of roses all over the place. Eduardo was blown away at the site of the fountain, but a simple glance at the same young girl had kept himself on guard as he even found that the Baron was pursuing her. He loathed the overweight Baron as he was giving the girl an uneasy lecture.

"Tomorrow, you'll be my wife and you'll bare me plenty of children to my house," he said.

"My lord," said the young girl. "I cannot marry you. It isn't right and it goes against my will."

"Your uncle demanded it and you should fulfill your end of the bargain, my dear."

"I'm too young, my lord! I'll never marry such a person!"

"Aldith! Come back here! Tomorrow, you'll never reject me on our wedding night!"

The girl ran away from the courtyard as she ran past Eduardo and the leader. She couldn't stomach the sight of her future husband as she began to feel queasy. Truthfully, she hated the arrangement that her uncle made for her as she was desperate to run away. But if she did, she would bring dishonor to her family name as she was about to endure a load of shame by marrying such a fat, odious pig like Baron Montrechu.

###

Eduardo was in one of the royal bathhouses as he was getting himself cleaned up. After a tour of the castle by the cavalry soldier, Eothain, he was fully relieved to have a place to stay instead of sleeping in that old shack. Tonight was something out of the ordinary as he later got out of the bath and wrapped himself in a towel to dry off. Afterwards, he was dressed in nightclothes as he went into one of the guest rooms. The bed was very soft as he began to creep under the covers. This was a lot better than sleeping in an alleyway as he began to close his eyes and drift away to sleep.

He was tired and he was also waiting for the arrival of Dr. Naegino as he began to dream about the spirits that dwelled outside of the village. They were funny looking as they even had a large sake bottle that poured a flowery wine into a cup. What was the cup for, anyway? Eduardo was dragged into the crowd of funny spirits as they handed him the wine cup. They expected him to drink the flowery wine as he put the cup to his lips. It tasted different as he began to feel more powerful than any other human that became either a witch or warlock. The spirits had circled around him as they danced around the large sake bottle. Just as he was about to join in the festivities, he woke up as he felt the sunlight shine in his face.

It was morning and Eduardo even saw his belongings and staff sitting in a chair as his clothes were laid there all nice and clean. Today was also the wedding of Aldith and the Baron as he loathed the fact of a ghastly wedding. Dressing up in his uniform, he crept out of the guest quarters as he had his belongings and staff in tow. To his surprise, he saw Eothain walking down the hall as he was carrying his sword and shield in his hands. Breakfast was going on along with the festivities for the wedding as everyone was happy for the Baron and his "joyful bride."

"Good morning, Eduardo," said Eothain. "I trust that you slept well."

"Well, _buenos dias _to you, too," answered Eduardo.

"Today is the wedding of that fat swine, Baron Montrechu, but I doubt that he hasn't woken up yet. He should have gotten ready in his wedding garb, but it's still at the abbey. I wonder what's keeping that fat lout lately?"

"Maybe he's dead..."

A loud scream pierced the halls as Eduardo and Eothain saw one of the serving women running past them. Something was wrong as both men rushed toward the Baron's quarters. To their shock, they found Baron Montrechu dead on the floor as he had no life in his body. Somehow, Eduardo had a feeling of suspicion as he even recalled watching PBS on a rainy night with his friends. Mysteries were not his cup of tea, but the death of the fat Baron had propelled him into searching for clues.

"There went the fat dude," he said.

"That's impossible!" cried Eothain. "The Baron had a healthy appetite, but-"

"He was murdered, _compadre._ Something tells me that he was poisoned."

"Are you sure? How did you know?"

"In a past life, I watched some mystery shows about how the victims died and how the killer was-"

To their shock, both men saw several guards rush into the Baron's room as they took the body away. The tragic death of Baron Montrechu was something that could never be avoided as Eduardo was also aware of the murder. He had to find out who killed him and fast as he began to search the Baron's room from top to bottom. Everything was a mess as there were bits of half-eaten food on the table. It wasn't long when he found an empty wine goblet on the floor as it had a sweet scent that drowned out the smell of the drink that the Baron sipped.

"Any clues?" asked Eothain as he walked into the Baron's room.

"_Nada, _but I found something that fits the bill on what killed the Baron," answered Eduardo as he picked up the goblet with his gloved hands. "There's an oily sweet substance that overpowered the smell of the wine."

"Oily sweet substance? Wait! I know that what it is! It's monk's hood. It's a sweet oily liquid used in alchemy, but when the victim has ingested it, the substance kills whoever tastes it."

"We're going to find whoever killed the Baron. He may have been rude and fat, but we should be able to find out who did this heinous deed."

And so, both Eduardo and Eothain left the room as they had the one vital clue in their hands: the wine goblet laced with monk's hood. Leaving the castle halls, they ran outside to the village as they ran towards the abbey where the Baron's body was taken to. With the mourners leaving to their homes and businesses, both men snooped inside as they saw the Baron's body put on display in an open casket. The ghastly appearance was horrible as the fat lout was covered in a burlap shroud. With Eduardo not holding back his deductions, he began to cast an incantation on the body as he discovered more than just a simple poisoning.

"There's some handprints on him," he said.

"Are you sure?" asked Eothain.

"Someone forced him to drink the poison. It could be one of his squires who did him in."

The stakes are high as Eduardo and Eothain had began to do their investigation into the Baron's murder. Now, Eduardo was a peculiar young man as he even had witching powers to add to the mix. The case of the murdered baron was considered to be a challenge as he was about to find out who did it and bring whoever committed it to be put to justice. This was his case and he didn't want the killer to go free. He had to solve it before some innocent soul was about to be put in the crosshairs of the investigation of epic proportions.

Normally, he would back out on such a case like this, but he had to cooperate whether he liked it or not. Even in the very utmost circumstances, he had to find more to this incident as he was looking to weed out any possible suspect that was involved in the Baron's murder.

###

Eduardo and Eothain had been at the inn for at least two hours as they were busy trying to find out more clues to the murder of Baron Montrechu. Even with the King's authorities trying to cooperate along with the cancellation of the Baron's wedding to Lady Aldith of Suleel, the case remained open as the incriminating evidence of the goblet laced with monk's hood was brough to the sheriff for further testing. Something was opening up even further as Eduardo and Eothain later left the inn with a tip for the serving wenches. Both men had scoured the village as they later ran towards an alleyway next to a wine shop. Something caught their eye as they saw an empty vial in a rubbish bin. The oily substance had stained the outside of it as the sweet substance was the same on that killed the Baron.

"We've got another clue," said Eduardo.

"This vial's got the same substance on it: monk's hood," said Eothain.

"We need to question the Baron's four squires as soon as possible, especially the tall one who was with Lady Aldith."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw the squire and the girl talking in private while I was brought into the dungeon. The man's name is Unwin as he was against the arranged marriage between Lady Aldith and his master."

The second clue was a dead ringer to Eduardo and Eothain as they brought it with them as evidence to the ongoing investigation into the death of the Baron. Both men had the clues and evidence as they later began to do a little bit of separate investigations involving the four squires in the Baron's service. Time was of the essence and a killer must be revealed before it was too late.

###

Later on in the afternoon, Eothain confronted two of the four squires as they were heading out of the abbey. Suspicion loomed the two men as they were all dressed in mourning attire. The question still remained: were the two in mourning of did they have something up their sleeves? Eothain had no choice but to interrogate them about the Baron's murder, regardless of the situation at hand.

"Squire Runcible de Vernal and Squire Thomas Lund," he said suspiciously. "I know that the Baron wasn't at all a commom slavedriver, but his death is a suspicious one."

"That's impossible, sir," said Runcible, who was medium built with blond hair.

"Baron Montrechu died from a heart attack," said Thomas, who was tall with brown hair.

"Something else proves otherwise," said Eothain. "This morning, the Baron was found dead and the cause of it was a poison called monk's hood. It seems that your master also got caught in a struggle due to the bruises on his body."

"Are you serious?" asked Thomas fearfully.

"How do you know about this?" asked Runcible suspiciously. "Are you a warlock or something?"

"Do I look like a warlock?" growled Eothain as he drew out his sword. "A friend of mine knew about what happened to your master and I suspect that the both of you were in on this, especially when one of you was against his marriage to Lady Aldith of Suleel.

Both squires shook with fear as they felt suspicion loom over their heads. They were caught in the middle of the investigation as they had the telltale signs of guilt all over them. Now, Eothain had a question that remains to be answered: were the squires able to kill the Baron or did someone else do this heinous deed? It wasn't long until the King's authorities rounded up the squires as they were brought into the dungeon for questioning. This was a murder investigation and the two squires had to come up with an alibi before they met their deaths at the executioner's axe.

###

Eduardo searched in the courtyard as he found a small container that had a gold necklace in it. What was it for and why would someone discard it all of a sudden? The necklace itself was a gold locket as Eduardo opened it up, only to find that it had a small piece of hair encased in it. There was also an inscription that was etched in the inside of it as it even proved that the late Baron was never worthy of the marriage to Lady Aldith.

"To my dearest Philippe (It read),

I give you all my love with all my heart always.

-from Juliana."

Who was Philippe? Was it the first name of the late Baron? Montrechu was a French name after all and the Baron's first name was something that raised an alarm of concern. A red flag flown in Eduardo's mind as he even had Eothain's comments at the inn raising some concern. The Baron _did_ have a mistress and the proof was right in Eduardo's hands as it was also very incriminating to the one who did this murderous deed. It wasn't long until he ran towards the castle exit as he was ready to meet up with Eothain and the rest of King Unferth's troops. He had the proof that he needed as he later saw the two other squires being escorted by the soldiers. Was there an alibi in the works or was there something that proved that the Baron had an affair right under the noses of everyone around him. Eduardo had to hide quickly as he crept behind a large row of bushes.

"Unwin!" cried Aldith as she ran towards one of the two squires. "What is the meaning of this?! He's done nothing wrong!"

"Oh, he did, Aldith," said a man dressed in regal clothing. "He killed your future husband!"

"Unwin would never do such a thing, Uncle! He swore he'd never take a life in cold blood!"

"We didn't kill the Baron!" yelled the other squire, who had red hair.

"Mind your tongue, Squire Jasper de Runcey," said the man on horseback. "This morning, your master died in his room which led to the failed happy union between him and my niece. She would have been the mother of his children and bring more honor to our family name!"

"You heartless swine!" yelled Unwin as he struggled from the grip of the soldiers. "You wanted to marry Aldith off to that fat old man against her will! She didn't agree on the marriage from the beginning! The Baron himself was an adulterer right from the beginning who had a mistress long before he died this morning! And as for _you_, the Duke of Loengard, you call yourself a loving relative?! You would go and force your own kin to wed such a fat pig like the Baron, Philippe Montrechu!"

"Liar!" roared the Duke as he punched Unwin in the jaw. "I wanted Aldith to be happy and the marriage to Philippe would give our family name more power in the Southern Front. Guards, take him and his friend away,... NOW!"

Both squires were carted off into the dungeon as Aldith was left in the courtyard with tears in her eyes. She loved Unwin with all her heart as she was desperate enough to prove his innocence. As for Eduardo, however, he remained hidden in the bushes as he finally fit the clues to the puzzle, for this was a murder investigation after all. When he fled from the courtyard, he had the third clue in his hands as he was ready to show it to Eothain and the King's authorities in order to crack the case and reveal who the true killer is.

###

"This is such an astonishing find," said Eothain as he examined the locket. "Where did you find it?"

"It was in the courtyard," answered Eduardo.

Both men were at the inn as they were still probing the case. Three clues were found: a wine goblet, an empty vial full of monk's hood, and a gold locket. All three were cpnnected and whoever killed the Baron was hiding something from everyone here. Both men also talked about the Baron's squires that got thrown in the dungeon as they were not only taken in for questioning, but to be executed for their master's murder.

"All four squires: Unwin Olivette, Thomas Lund, Runcible de Vernal, and Jasper de Runcey have been taken into custody so far," said Eothain.

"One of them is most likely to be the killer," said Eduardo.

"The sheriff informed us that the case will resume tomorrow. Right now, we should rest up before we do anything. Tomorrow will be fresh and a killer will be revealed by the time we wrap up this case."

"Looks like it's back to the castle we go..."

###

Later on in the evening, Eduardo returned to his quarters after having a nice hot bath. Dressed in clean nightclothes, he climbed into bed as he began to fall asleep. Tomorrow was the time to reveal the true killer, but not yet. Eduardo was dreaming of the same spirit road that led him to the giant sake bottle and the wine cup. He was floating above the road as he saw a giant kodama standing in front of him as it reached out its arms while holding a wine cup.

"Eduardo," it said. "Drink the chrysanthemum wine."

"What?... now?!" said Eduardo with a shocked look on his face.

"Drink the Chrysanthemum wine and you will find out the truth about the Baron's killer."

"What makes you so sure that the killer would be revealed?"

"Drink the Chrysanthemum wine, Eduardo. It is your duty to do so during the dream state every time you sleep."

Without hesitation, Eduardo took the wine cup from the kodama as he drank the contents of it. The taste and the lasting effects had a hold on him as he found himself in the Baron's room in flashback. He saw the fat lout in his chair as he was looking at the locket. To his shock, he saw one of the squires from the abbey as he had the same vial of monk's hood in his hands. There was anger in the squire's eyes as he put the full contents in his master's wine goblet. To Eduardo's shock, he saw the squire seize the Baron by throat. The strong hands had forced the goblet onto the Baron's lips as he drank the whole thing.

Shaking and wheezing, the Baron writhed in agony as he felt his lungs close up. He was dying as the squire walked away with the necklace in his hands. Baron Montrechu was dead and the killer was none other than Runcible de Vernal, who took the empty vial that had the monk's hood in it and later disposed of it in a rubbish bin at an alleyway. The squire was clever as he even left the locket in the metal case when he hid it in the courtyard. Eduardo had finally found the killer while he was in the dream state as he was about to wake up at any time. The effects of the chrysanthemum wine had finally paid off as he woke up in his bed.

Dawn had settled in as he was awake and found himself intact. He hated to be forced to drink any type of flower wine, but it was mandatory for him _and_ it was also his duty to do so. With the sun rising from the ground, daylight seeped through as Eduardo was dressed into some new attire that consisted of a white shirt complete with a matching set of azure vest and trousers. He even put on some leather hessian boots as he grabbed his staff and left his quarters. He was eager to bring out the killer as he went into the King's dining hall, where he saw the Duke of Loengard sitting at the wrong spot. With the four squires sitting along with Lady Aldith and Eothain with his cavalry, they were eager to participate in finding who the killer really is.

"One of you has done this heinous deed," said Eduardo suspiciously. "All clues fit very nicely in the Baron's murder."

"Sir Eothain, who is this man?!" cried the Duke. "Is he one of those Road vermin?"

"That 'Road vermin' is about to reveal the true killer," he said.

"Whoever he is, he's got some nerve to bungle things up."

"Eduardo Rivera may have bungled and gotten into trouble in a past life, but he's also the only one who found the clues on how the Baron died."

Drawing out his staff, Eduardo began to swing and twirl it as he later pointed it directly at Runcible. A look of shock had emerged on the squire's face as he turned white as a ghost. Guilt had flowed over him as he saw Eduardo bring out the clues from a burlap bag. The wine goblet, the empty vial, and the necklace were the highly incriminating evidence that would put Runcible de Vernal away for a very long time. The squire had killed his master and now, he was going to pay for it.

"What's the meaning of this?!" roared the Duke. "Get this man out of here!"

"Listen to what I have to say!" yelled Eduardo. "Runcible de Vernal had killed his master by forcing some wine laced with monk's hood into him. The hands were strong when the fat lout was powerless to get free. Even when the Baron died, Runcible snatched the necklace and tossed the empty vial into the rubbish bin in the alleyway. He later returned to the castle to hide the necklace in the courtyard as he even went into the abbey to pay his last respects to his master."

"Is this true?"

"Yes, it was _I _who killed my father," said Runcible. "I wanted revenge for what he did to my mother years ago. When he left her, she gave him a necklace with a lock of her hair, but when she died, my father fled elsewhere."

"Your mother's name was Juliana, wasn't it?" asked Eduardo.

Runcible screamed in anger as Eothain drew out his sword and pointed it at him. The jig was up and the squire was finally caught as he was placed in shackles and led out of the dining hall. The case was solved and the killer was taken to justice as everyone had congratulated Eduardo with the help of Eothain. After the morning deduction and the Baron's funeral, everyone had congratulated the wedding of Lady Aldith and Unwin as they were happily together at last.

As for Eduardo, he was most likely to stay in the village after all in order to wait for Dr. Naegino as he was also looking for work. Returning to the inn, he saw a "help wanted" sign on the window as he was ready to take on the opportunity in taking up a job. Somehow, luck was on his side and his brief job at the inn was somewhat useful for the time being. He even saw Eothain and his cavalry enter every now and then as they ordered food and drink after their journeys. Today was something more than just finding out clues as Eduardo had a much bigger task to undertake in the future

"As soon as we all have a full belly, we can go home, clean ourselves, and bed our women!" said Eothain as he raised his glass full of mead.

"Hear! Hear!" the cavalry yelled.

"I've heard that one before," said Eduardo with a smile on his face.


End file.
